h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

PS:

Are there any other salvageable bits off the Fiesta
that you can use on the Focus?

Wheels, tires, window winders, door handles, sun-visors,
dash control knobs, radio...

Don't just throw it all away. A junked car is still worth
several hundred to a parts shop or a recycler.


~jwf~

Window winders?? Gadzooks, be this ye 1970s?

Nay, 'tis a Ford Fiesta.
Shirley electrics are not standard?

Verily, the manual window is still much to be preferred.
Especially in icy climates like Canada where many
a push button window has cracked because the motor
pusheth mindlessly and relentlessly against ice that
a human hand would realise was not gonna budge.

And yay, if't doth hath the 'lectrics all the more value
to be salvaged and greater the inevitable need for spares.
Switches, motors, etc.


~jwf~

Yup, my Fiesta still uses window winders. I still think of electric windows as some modern fangled witchcraft that will never catch on

>>It does sound like a good deal with the extra service
and warranty

It's only a good deal if the price is right, which AFAIK hasn't been mentioned.

BTW, the AA offer a form of insurance which which is effectively a kind-of warranty for a fully-serviced car; it's worth comparing the price of that to the value of the garage warranty.

I'll check it out garahe warranty is included though. thanks

RE: window wipers, the focus has electric in the front winders in the rear.

Got an encouraging (read: affordable) quote on insurance yesterday so I think, unless one betters it, I can go ahead with that.

Had a conversation with the dvla, I to tax it I need insurance (working on it!) , the v5c document and a post office. None of which I have to hand at the moment. So I wonder how I'm supposed to do this?

s'cuse me window winders. my internal spellchequer has daffodils in it's Canterbury.

This is it.
http://pictures2.autotrader.co.uk/imgser-uk/servlet/media?id=2060138547

When you go to pick up the car you'll get a log book with change of owner details and a MOT certificate. You can then take that and your insurance certificate to a post office and they will give you a tax disc.. The downside is that you have to pick up the logbook walk to a post office and then walk back to pick up a car..

Nice looking car.
The dealership looks a bit 'temporary' with that
mobile office though.



I see you've encountered the old bureaucratic
chicken and egg problem where the insurance co.
won't cover it until its registered in your name and
you can't get it registered without getting it inspected
(MOT?) and you can't get it MOTed because you can't
drive it without registration and insurance.

We have the same run-around here in Nova Scotia
but if you had insurance on the old car you can
call the insurance agent and advise them of the new
purchase and get a 'verbal' agreement to transfer
the coverage temporarily and (here anyway) you take
the registration plates off your old car to drive
the new one to an inspection station or repair shop.

Here, the registration plate is assigned to the owner
and not the vehicle. Many of those in my car club have
more cars than they have licence plates and just shuffle
them around when necessary.

Classic bureaucracy in action - most people never figure
out how to get around it and end up with a lot of towing
and taxi charges before they can drive away legally. This
is especially difficult when buying privately but most
dealers can be more helpful. They can offer a temporary
registration certificate and MOT equivalent - IF you can
show them proof of insurance which is impossible if you
have no current insurance or license plate to transfer.

I imagine it's a little different over there - and I wish
you continued luck in this purchase.


~jwf~

You can get insurance before the car is registered in your name, so you should be ok.

I had a lot of respect for jwf's opinions until he looked at a picture of a second-hand car on the internet and said "looks like a nice motor" .

I would, however, query those scratch/dirt marks over the nearside wheel. Have they been put there to disguise body repairs?

And what I really want to know is what's on the bonnet of that Vectra in the background. Is it a lettuce?

B

OR...

Perhaps they're not dirt/scratch marks and perhaps they're just the reflection of the forecourt banners.

B

Mazel tov, Clive!

Couldn't resist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v694rpQ1QWQ

>> I had a lot of respect for jwf's opinions until he looked at a picture of a second-hand car on the internet and said "looks like a nice motor" <<

Believe me, a ten year old Ford would not look half that good
on a lot here in Canada. The salt on our roads and the freeze/
thaw cycle kills a daily driven car in 5 years.



But please don't allow any deficiencies in my visual acuity or
my unfamiliarity with the condition of used cars in the UK sully
or prejudice the value you once had of my other opinions.

That pic still looks good to me - I'd say it was 3 or 4 years old,
with very low mileage - or, has been repainted (in which case your
observation that it may have been repaired is quite valid and ought
to be considered).


~jwf~

I hasten to add that after my quick scan of the car
my eye was drawn to the 'sales office' and there I
had my doubts (and said so). I imagine the salesmen
look a lot like the guy in Rudy's video link.

I've had a closer look now and I think the lines you
are seeing on the front fender are a reflection from
a couple of nearby poles. Poles from which used car
salesman can be hung, drawn and quartered.

I still say it's a nice little car. And if that's the original
paint it looks clean and not abused. Besides which,
I think Clive's already bought it and it would be most
inconsiderate to now say anything negative.

~jwf~

>>Poles from which used car
salesman can be hung, drawn and quartered.<<

'hanged', surely?



(sorry, I'm bored)

Well at least now we know the most important thing.


It's sorta greeney-blue.

Got it back home.


http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p843x403/555860_10151249903134676_2072351416_n.jpg


Getting it insured proved a minor nightmare, however.

I fill in the online quotation forms from GoCompare (and others) - I choose the one that has the best offer.

I ring up and accept the quote.

They try to sell me all extra stuff; I refuse.

I do accept a discount take out a 10 month not 12 month policy which reduced my premium to a rather nifty £476 but at the end of this I get a 1 years NCB 2 months early.

I accept and give them my payment details and am given a policy number.

I'm told to register on the web and check my insurance documents and I'm to notify customer services if I find any errors.

I find two. My phone number isn't correct and the year I purchased the car is inocrrect: this is listed as 2006, which is amusing as that's the year I passed my test. And I was buying the car today!

I'm certain the error is not mine - why would I select 2006 as the purchase date?? That makes no sense whatsoever.

so I do as instructed and call Customer "services" to inform them of the error.

They say they will as a consequence raise my premium by £113.74.

I protest. They refuse to listen.

I bounce between phone teams.

I still don't get an answer just more threats (accept the charge or cancel your policy!)

I'm was to be called by a manager today, who never rang so I ended up calling them got diverted to a low level functionary who presented me with the same dilemma.

Nothing I could do in the end.

I argued but they wouldn't budge. The best outcome of this was to raise my voluntary excess to £350 (i.e in the event of an accident this is what I pay before insurance kicks in, thus making insurance pretty much worthless IMO)

This change meant my premium rose by *only* £90.79

So now I'm fully covered until April next year for £567.53

The tragedy is that was *still* cheaper than the other quotes I was getting which were 600 - 700+

After this I left to go the bank to go draw out cash for the car.

My bank (The HSBC) operates between the hours of 9:30am and 4:30pm, consequently I rarely ever go inside except to pay in a cheque on a Saturday and there's a machine for that. So now I go into to withdraw cash only to find out on Saturdays they don't staff the counter.

Am informed that the maximum I can withdraw today is £300 from The ATM.

Luckily the Garage didn't complain when I handed over my debit card with a broad smile.


But ye other people's gods - I need a drink - (but don't worry the car is staying where it is - I'm catching the train to Cambridge.)